Description
This is a RARE Selmer Balanced Action Baritone. How rare? Selmer only made 190 baritones total between 20xxx serial and 30xxx serial – that’s seven years of production 1935-1942! There are only 25 baritones in the 25xxx serial range, which means only 2.5% of Selmer’s production was baritones. That’s RARE! Plus this is the only original full nude portrait that I have seen engraved on a 30’s or later Selmer, or at all really, though the Balanced Action baritones typically did get unique engraving from what I have seen.
This horn was relacquered for cosmetic reasons, and is the cleanest sort of relacquer that you will see. It came from a player in Hawaii who was probably the original owner, and it is clear that he took excellent care for it. There are literally no past repairs evident. That’s just crazy for an 80 year old baritone. I play an original lacquer Radio Improved baritone (22xxx serial, very similar to this), and even my personal horn is not this clean mechanically and structurally. And like my personal Selmer Bari, this horn has the same rich, warm, delicate, pleasant tone that I have found in no other kind of baritone past or present. It is really hard to beat.
And it comes with a thorough (several hundred dollars) playing condition job by Matt Stohrer to get the necessary pads replaced and things tuned up.
The total package of extreme rarity, beauty, the special engraving, and the stand-out tone make this the horn to have. And it’s a vintage Selmer Balanced Action for the price of a student Yamaha bari, which is crazy but true.
Only one available! (And no, when this sells, I probably cannot find you another one like this. Sorry.)
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